The Prince and the Sage
by valeah
Summary: A prince goes on a journey to seek his heart's desire. Feedback welcome.


_The Prince and the Sage_

  


Once upon a time, when magical happenings were everyday occurrences, there lived a king and queen in a castle on a hill. The queen was as fair as the blushing summer morn, and was as wise as she was lovely to look upon. Her husband the king was handsome, proud, and stouthearted---all things a king ought to be. Yet he was inclined to be a bit of a dreamer, and had romantic notions of the way life should be lived. The queen loved him dearly, for he was a gentle and good soul. The king, in turn, loved her in his simple way.

~~

Now it came to pass that the queen bore a son. The king was immensely pleased, and privately imagined a bright future for the babe, rife with heroic acts, adventure, and, of course, the obligatory rescue of a beautiful and imperiled maiden. One day, he and the queen sat with the prince in the royal nursery. In a sportive mood, the queen asked, "Dear husband, what do you have in mind for our son's future?"

The king replied, "He shall be fearless and noble."

"Is that all?" asked the queen. "And what of wisdom? Do you not wish for our son to be fearless and peerless in his wisdom?" 

"But of course!" cried the king. "I verily hope he will be wise."

"Very well,"the queen mused. "Our son will thus far grow to be fearless, noble, and wise. Yet I cannot help but feel that his character would be lacking without kindness." "Kind he shall be!" cried the king. "Indeed, he will embody all these virtues. When he is the proper age, he will go adventuring, and his excellent traits will serve him well." Yea, and he will surely meet success by his journey's end." said the queen. "Then shall he return to us?"

"No indeed!" retorted the shocked king. He will rescue a maiden fair from peril's villainous clutch, and will settle down with her to lead a life of contentment, for she will be of royal blood. My son will have no less than such a maiden." 

"We can only hope there will be such a maiden, in the clutch of such villainous peril, when the time comes," said the queen. 

The king, little concerned by these trifles, went off to attend to his kingly duties, which very often seemed to involve strolling through the castle grounds, lost in imaginings of his beloved son's potential glories.

The queen, as soon as her husband was away, leaned over the sleeping prince and whispered, "My Darling, you shall possess all the virtues your father wishes for you, but you will be thrice blessed and thrice cursed before you find your heart's desire. I gift you with the ability to see the true nature of man or beast, though this will not prevent you from being deceived by faeries, which are neither man nor beast. Your father, bless him, believes the only qualification a maiden needs to be worthy of you is that she be in distress. I desire that not only shall you save a maiden from the clutch of peril, but she will do the same for you. A maiden who is your equal in virtue is surely befitting of you."

~~

It is said that the queen was of faerie stock, but whether or not this was so, what she foretold began to come to pass. The prince was fearless, noble, wise, and kind and, in addition to these assets, had a keen desire to go adventuring. He was of yet unaware of the special ability his mother had bestowed upon him, for a blessing takes a good deal of time to manifest itself, unlike fine character. On the day of his birth each year, the prince would go to his mother and say, "Shall this be the year when I seek my destiny?" To this she always replied, "You will know when you receive an omen." One night, the prince felt uneasy, and sleep did not come to him. He sat by his window, as was his wont, and gazed wistfully off into the forest far beyond his home. He suddenly became aware of the presence of a dove on the sill. It cocked its head to the side and sang to him:

  


_O noble prince, it has been decreed   
These my words I advise you heed!   
You, bold adventurer, must take flight   
And leave on a journey to find your delight   
Life in the castle has suited you well   
Yet happiness lives where the Sage doth dwell   
Now you are in your youthful prime   
Your eighteenth March is your journeying time_

  


The next morning, the prince went to the king and queen and told them of the omen. "Good, said the queen. "Your journey is begun. Go now, and seek your heart's desire. You will know it at the proper moment. Beware the wiles of the forest creatures." She bade the prince take with him a length of rope, a sword whose pommel was studded with sapphires, and a golden harp. The king and queen wished him well, and the prince set off to the forest, believing that his destiny lay within those trees. His heart knew no fear, and he was glad.

After some time, he came to the edge of the wood. The trees were of varying types, all fair to behold, and the ground was bejeweled with flowers, but as he journeyed onward, the trees became gnarled and the ground barren, and he could discern fell creatures slinking about in the ever-deepening shadow. Presently, the prince espied a little stream boldly snaking its way through the forest. Though he felt he should not stray from his course, he said to the stream, "I shall walk with you, friend, for you will be a merry companion." It is fortunate that he did so, for he would have become hopelessly lost had he followed his former course, and those that are lost in the forest never do find their way out. 

~~

The prince walked for a ways, and when he grew weary, rested by the water's edge. No sooner then he settled himself did he hear a great clamoring above his head. Hanging from a tree was a gilded cage, and in it were three ravens: one ebony, one silver, and one as white as the first snowfall in winter. Upon seeing that they had his attention, the birds began to speak.

"I am Hindsight," said the ebony raven, "and I know of past wrongdoings." 

"I am Longing," said the silver one, "and I know of present hopes and desires." The last raven regarded the prince for a time before saying, "I am Eventuality, and I know whether the future will hold for you sorrow or delight." 

The prince, whose mother's gift enabled him to recognize the true nature of the ravens, cried, "You are not what you seem!" 

"Aye, our true aspects are that of faeries," said the black raven, "but our present appearances result from an enchantment. Now tell us, lad, who you may be, for there is something most unusual about you. I see no misdeeds in your past, and you are a Blessed One, one who is gifted with a great ability. No mere mortal could know our true natures, for only a faerie could recognize another faerie in enchanted form.

"I am a wanderer, in search of the one called the Sage as well as my heart's desire," said the prince. "Who is responsible for your enchantment? " 

"To answer you fully, we must explain who we are," said the silver raven. "We know much that men do not, and cannot, understand. We are granted eternal life, and cannot be destroyed, for we are past, present, and future. We embody neither good nor evil, only truth. 

"The faerie queen of this forest has forced us to assume these forms," continued the white raven. "She came to us and demanded that we satisfy her desire to learn her fate. Hindsight first spoke to her, and told her, 'Your cruel subjugation of your people has instilled in them a great hatred of you.' 

"Longing then said, 'You have the loyalty of the faeries of this forest to aid you in your attempt to rule all faerie folk, but at a bitter cost. They would forsake you if they did not fear you so.' I lastly told her, 'Your desire to dominate will never be realized, for you will be killed by the one who bears the flame-jeweled sword.' At this, she flew into a rage, and turned us into ravens, the most vile and despicable of birds. To further humiliate us, she placed us in this cage from which cannot escape. She then laughed at us scornfully and said, 'My ability to enchant others is but a fragment of my power. You who doubt me will be the first to see me ascend the throne as ruler of all faeries. Tomorrow I will gather my people to me, and we will go to conquer the faeries of the dale. When they have fallen I shall conquer the faeries of the hills, mountains, and sea. " 

The prince unsheathed his sword and held it before the ravens. "Could this be the flame-jeweled sword you speak of?" he asked. "If so, then I will slay the faerie queen. Perhaps I will discover my heart's desire along the way." 

The white raven gazed at the prince solemnly and said, "That is the one, yet know that you cannot wield the sword against her to kill her. You must use some other means. I foresee great happiness for you, should you succeed. You have a powerful gift that works to your benefit, but you will also need the help of the Sage. Continue to follow this stream, and stray not from the path, lest you fall prey to the malignant creatures of this forest that are under the faerie queen's spell."

The prince bade the ravens farewell and set off.

~~

As he made his way down the path by the stream, the forest beasts crept close to him, snapping at his heels. They matched pace with him and tried to frighten him into retreat with their eerie howls and gnashing teeth. The prince ignored them, knowing he was safe so long as kept his course. He dared not stray for a moment, ever mindful of his mother and the ravens' warning. He knew these creatures were acting not of their own volition, and was making considerable progress through the forest despite their efforts to deter him when a feeling of great fatigue stole over him, and he began to stumble. He fell to his knees, and suddenly heard cries of distress coming from the stream. Wishing to ascertain the nature of the cries, he dragged himself to the stream's edge. Floundering in the water was a lovely doe that pleaded for his help. Trusting her nature to be pure and good, the prince tossed her one end of his rope and used what little strength was left in him to pull her to safety. When her hooves had touched dry land, she put her nose to the prince's forehead, and he was instantly transformed into a tree, for, though the doe was a good creature, she was, like all the forest denizens, subject to the will of the faerie queen, and she delighted in such mischief as befell the prince.

Though now unable to move, the prince's heart did not quail; nor did he sigh over his predicament. Darkness closed in around him, and the beasts that had tormented him before redoubled their efforts. After enduring this for a spell, a shaft of moonlight illuminated the tree that was the prince, and the forest creatures fled in dismay. The dove that had called him to this adventure was now perched on one of his branches. It sang:

  


_I will free you, fair prince, from this treacherous fix   
No more will you fall to the forest beasts' tricks!   
Too late, too late, it is already done   
You must rescue the Sage, ere the battle is won_

  


The prince found himself back in human form, but had no time to ask the dove to explain its cryptic words, for it had taken flight. "More's the pity," said the prince. "For I would have liked to know what it meant when it said, "Too late." There is nothing for it; I must seek the Sage." Several days' journey brought the prince through the forest, and he found a small cottage near to where forest bordered valley. He knew this could be none other than the dwelling of the Sage whom he sought. The door was unlatched and open, and the room inside was in a state of disarray. Tables were overturned, herbs were scattered about the floor, and a plate of spoiled, half-eaten stew was on the table. The prince was overcome by rage. "This is surely the doings of the faerie queen! Had I but known that the doe would deceive me, I would have arrived in time to help the Sage. He could have helped me defeat the faerie queen, and told me of my heart's desire." The prince knew not what to do, but did not despair for long, for he spied what he thought was his friend the dove on a tree outside the cottage. The bird took flight when it saw it had captured the prince's attention, and paid no heed to the prince's calls to stay it. Feeling he would benefit from pursuing the bird, the prince followed the stream out of the forest in the direction the dove had taken.

For many days and nights the prince made his way across valley and over hill. In due course, he came to a vast lake all frozen over. He found this to be odd, for the land was still in the raptures of spring. He knelt down by the lakeside, and great was his astonishment when he beheld the figure of a maiden beneath the ice. She appeared as if in deep slumber, her dark tresses obscuring her features but not her beauty. She was clad in simple garb, but was by far the loveliest creature the prince had ever laid eyes upon. Grieved by her sad fate, he took out his harp and began to play a mournful dirge. The ice began to crack, and the maiden awoke and slowly arose. "Will you lend me your hand?" she asked.

The prince helped her ashore, and the maid laughed at the surprise apparent on his countenance. "You have broken my enchantment and rescued me from great peril, for I would surely have died had no-one come to my aid. Go whither you will, and I shall follow. It is my calling to help others who are in need of my knowledge, and I am in your debt." 

"How did you come to be imprisoned here?" asked the prince. "A wicked faerie queen placed me under an enchantment by way of punishment," was the maiden's reply." I would not join with her in her attempt to overtake the faeries of this land." The prince was by now aware of her nature. "Then you are the Sage!" he cried. "So they call me," said the maiden, "though I find it an old-fashioned term. I have been the Sage since my brother disappeared and my master died, rest his soul. My brother and I were both merely apprentices before, since we were sent to live with our master, rest his soul, by the faeries that raised us. I enjoy being the Sage very much, but I miss my brother and master, rest his soul, terribly." "I am sorry for you," said the prince, "but you will have company now, for I will need you in order to defeat the faerie queen. A creature as cruel and full of malice as she cannot be allowed to endure. If you are willing to come with me, then I should be most glad to have you." "I will lead you to her, said the maid," for I know where she dwells."

The pair traveled back into the forest from whence the prince had come. The prince found his companion to be charming and delightful. She was also knowledgeable about all affairs, but particularly well versed in the ways of faeries, sprites, and their ilk. 

She explained, "The faeries suffer from a peculiar weakness, for they covet gold, one of the few materials they cannot find with ease. They are the most powerful of the magical beings, and it will be most difficult to kill the faerie queen in particular."

"This is true," said the prince. "Yet, I was told that the one who bears the flame-jeweled sword will defeat her, and I carry that sword here on my back. I was also told that the sword itself will not slay her. I will have to employ other means to accomplish the deed. " 

"So it would seem," said the Sage. "I will provide you with a dagger of crystal. I have it hidden within my dress, for my master gifted it to me, rest his soul, and it is dear to me. He told me that it may be of use, and it appears his words will come to pass. If you wish to succeed, we must approach the faerie queen at sundown, while she is still resting. We must catch her unawares and get past the guards, who will surely be on the watch for intruders."

Prince and Sage arrived at the lair of the faerie queen and waited for twilight to descend. It was the one hour of the day during which the queen and most of her subjects would take their rest; faeries cause mischief by light and frolic by night. The entrance to her lair was a large hole between the roots of an immense tree, and was guarded by two lesser faeries. The prince, recalling the Sage's words, took out his golden harp and began to pluck at the strings. 

"Who plays music on the Queen's doorstep? What is that you have in your hand, human youth? Gold! A golden harp!" cried one of the guards. 

"Gold? Give it here!" cried the other. The prince handed them the harp with feigned reluctance, and they fell upon it, each eager to claim it for themselves. With the faeries thus distracted, the prince and the maiden slipped inside unnoticed.

"I do not wish for you to face the faerie queen again," said the prince. "She may inflict upon you a more lasting vengeance." 

"Nay, I will accompany you, my friend. You are noble and true to a worthy task, and I will not stray from your side at this final hour." 

And so they went together to face the queen, and neither let fear overtake them.

~~

When they came to the queen's chamber, they found her asleep in her hammock. The prince crept forward with the dagger, ever watchful for any signs of movement from the faerie. When he judged he was the proper distance from her, he held the dagger aloft and prepared for the fatal strike. Something gave him pause before he could carry through with the deed. He felt that the faerie queen was undeserving of a death from which she would be unable to defend herself. Indeed, she was helpless at the time, and the prince knew he could not kill any creature under such circumstances. He turned to look at the Sage for guidance. 

"I cannot kill her in good faith while she slumbers. Is she truly wicked, or do we misunderstand her intentions?" he asked. 

"She deceives you!" the maiden cried. "She is bewitching you to believe she is innocent!" Her cries went unheeded, for the prince fell to the ground, dead to all appearances, and the faerie queen arose from her hammock, her pale eyes alit with a malevolent light, and began to advance. The Sage knew instantly what she must do. She took up the jewel-flamed sword and rushed at the queen, who had no time to react before the maiden smote her. The Sage then fell to her knees and wept for the prince, her friend and companion. 

She presently realized she was not alone. Three men stood before her, and the robes of each matched their beards: one black, one silver, and one white. On the shoulder of the man in white perched a dove. It sang:

  


_Fair maiden, dear sister   
Cry no more this night   
Queen Wicked is dead   
This land she'll not blight   
-   
The prince that you love   
Though dead he appears   
Lives yet. See him breathe!   
Now shed you no tears_

  


The dove then turned into a handsome youth, and the Sage was held in the arms of the brother she had feared was lost to her. The prince stirred and gave a glad cry when he saw that the maiden was unharmed, and was delighted to speak with his benefactor. Eventuality, for he was the man in the white robe, smiled at both prince and maid. 

"You, my dear prince, were the bearer of the sword, but you were never meant to wield it. In fact, doing so would have destroyed you. I could not tell you this, for you would never have allowed the maiden to perform the deed in your stead, fearing for her safety. Yet, her magic is more potent even than your gift, for faerie blood courses through her veins. She who is known as the Sage is faerie royalty, next in line for the throne her aunt the wicked faerie queen occupied." 

"She killed the Sage and her brother's parents, but distant relations took in the children and sent them to the former Sage for protection," continued Hindsight. "When the faerie queen learned of this, she came to the Sage's dwelling and attempted to kill the brother and sister in their sleep. She was unable to harm either, though she did change the brother into a dove. She feared the power of the maid, but was well aware that the maid, while knowing much else, knew nothing of her lineage, for the faeries that raised her desired that she not know. She had hoped to make an ally of her."

"There is much I wish to learn of you, "said the Sage. "For now, I ask only this: Why is the prince not dead?" 

The Sage's brother then spoke. "I placed him in an enchanted sleep before any harm could come to him at the faerie queen's hand. I followed you here, for I have been with the prince since the day he began his journey." 

The prince, who had been quiet throughout the exchange, then spoke: 

"Dear Sage, I came to you with the intention of asking for your help as well as your knowledge of what my heart's desire was. Now I believe I have learned it on my own." 

The prince and Sage were married shortly thereafter, and the Sage's brother assumed the throne of the dead faerie queen. He ruled the forest faeries firmly but lovingly, and all rejoiced. The prince and his princess returned home to his parents, and the king and queen were content that their son had fulfilled their dearest wishes. 


End file.
